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Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling issued the following statement on the Department of Labor’s  regarding association health plans (AHPs):

Lowering health care costs has long been a top priority for manufacturers. AHPs offer an important market-based pathway to expanded health care coverage and lower health care costs, and now is the time to make this option more widely available to smaller companies and their employees. We appreciate all of the efforts of the White House, the Labor Department and Congress in moving this forward. Manufacturers have a proud tradition of providing health care to employees—in fact, nearly 100 percent of our member companies do so. We will continue to be a partner along the way so that more manufacturing employees can thrive, be healthy and share in their sector’s success, said Boerstling.

In March, the 51�Թ���  with the Department of Labor on AHPs, which essentially enable associations and groups to band together to provide health insurance to member employers and employees. Given the increased purchasing power and wider insurance pool that comes from banding together, AHPs often offer the potential of better care and lower costs.

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The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement backing the Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act of 2018, which is being marked up by the House Ways and Means Committee today:

The JOBS for Success Act creates new opportunities for people left behind to join the 21st-century manufacturing workforce, said Timmons. This legislation will help us upskill more Americans for the new-collar jobs of the future, provide the dignity of work along with the necessary wraparound social services to support people at work and enhance the talents of those who are unemployed or underemployed by allowing them to find meaningful career paths in a rapidly changing and evolving economy.

Manufacturers in America have a lot to be confident about, thanks to recent tax and regulatory reforms that have spurred record levels of optimism. But with 391,000 openings today for skilled workers and 3.5 million positions to fill by 2025, workforce solutions, such as the JOBS for Success Act, are a must for our country to remain competitive and stand out as exceptional in the global economy.

Timmons is the board chairman of , the 51�Թ���’s 501c3 affiliate dedicated to developing and implementing solutions to workforce development issues affecting the manufacturing sector. Timmons also served on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion.

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The 51�Թ��� (51�Թ���) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The 51�Թ��� is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit .